We're Not in Kansas, Toto

We traveled a long way from home...all the way to New York City! We went to the big city to promote our cookbook, Down Home: Downtown, by Jeff Mall (FarmerJeff) and Josh Silvers, along with photos by Alan Campbell, produced and sponsored by Rodney Strong Winery.

Our first stop was the "Green Market" in Union Square. I had scouted out the market when I was in New York in July, so I knew the guys could find some really great "local" produce. Here are some of the fun things we saw.








After shopping with the crowd, off we went to Katz's Deli, a temple to Pastrami, Corned Beef, Kosher Salami and all culinary wonders of the lower East Side. We were so enthralled with the food that we didn't take time to take pictures...we just ate! From there we ducked into Russ and Daughters Appetizers, another famous culinary institution. Being the crazy food people we are...we of course had to get knishes from Yonah Schimmel's famous Knish spot. On we wandered to the Bialy bakery, buying something for breakfast, and then we went off in search of the famous pickle place. Apparently the most famous was closed (sorry...can't remember the name) but ended up at Two Pickle Guys where we purchased many pickled items.

We had a break (shower, check email, make some calls) before we went out again for DINNER! We went to the temple of Cheese, Artisanal. There we ate...cheese! We ordered fondue, cheese and onion and bacon tart, a mushroom and cheese risotto and ended with ...CHEESE! Here are some photos to enjoy!

Bragging Rights

I have to seize this moment to brag about my friend, Michele Gentile. Not only is she one of the coolest, prettiest, smartest, funniest...I could go on forever...she is also the most adventurous person I know. She has just left her last cooking assignment and has written an article published today in the Wall Street Journal. You need to take a look at it.


It is entitled: Cooking at the End of the World. As you will read, Michele has been cooking dishes adapted from the chef, Laurent Tourandel (NYC) while working as a sous chef at the U. S. research station on ...Antarctica. WOW...that girl is unbelievable!!!

Michele is the author of my favorite food blog, Harriett's Tomato. You also need to check that out. Now that her tour of Antarctica is over, she has traded in her parka and long underwear for shorts and a bathing suit. She is going to be cooking on Palmyra Atoll in the South Pacific. Talk about extremes!

Have a great time, Michele! You deserve it!

The picture above was taken just over a year ago in NYC when Zin Restaurant cooked at the James Beard House. Michele joined us in the kitchen for that event, making a special event even better! (Michele is the lovely one wearing the blue scarf!)

So Long, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, Goodbye...

The year 2007 is almost over. What a GREAT year this has been!

Farmer Chef Jeff was honored by the James Beard Foundation when he cooked a dinner in New York in February, the TV show filmed at Zin Restaurant, Giada's Weekend Getaways, aired in March, I had nasal surgery and we got to go to Italy in April and eat pizza in Naples (wow!!!).

We gave a cooking demo at the Windsor Farmer's Market in May and started enjoying the bounty of our garden while June found us, "Zin Restaurant at Eastside Farm" starting our farm stand at the Thursday night Farmer's Market AND cooking the gala dinner for the Pinot Day's in San Francisco for 150 people (in a make-shift kitchen...OYE!).

In July, at a the taste of Sonoma/Showcase, Farmer Chef Jeff won the "Steel Chef" competition AND we started canning (the first item to be canned was the Santa Rosa Plum Jam (the color of a summer sunset!). August found us entertaining a lot in the back yard and working the farm (never underestimate how much one little plant can produce...or 500!!!) AND Farmer Jeff was in his first movie, Bottle Shock. According to the Internet Movie Data Base, the film is due out in 2008 but WILL be premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.

We welcomed September and fall with more catering. We are, after all, in Wine Country, and "Crush" is our busiest time of the year. The restaurant was crazy busy and so were we. Farmer Chef Jeff also won 3 ribbons for his tomatoes AND participated in the world's BIGGEST BLT by donating 125 pounds of house cured bacon. In October we took off for the South and loved it! We ate like little pigs and are now paying the price for those distant taste memories.

November blew past in typical whirlwind fashion with caterings and all of the other things we do every day that keep us busy. December...well...here we are. Another large catering in the middle of the month, a fast trip to San Diego, the holidays in the Central Valley and now home.

Now that I have given a calendar like summary, I feel the need to really focus on the important things. The time I get to spend in the garden with my honey, the moments sleeping in the couch with a cat curled under one arm and a dog sleeping on my legs, knitting with my girlfriends on Saturday mornings, the new internet friends I write to, the connections I am making in the farm and poultry field. Connections.

I am now producing my "sustainable sacks" and am selling them at the Cheese Shop in Healdsburg. The owner, Doralice Handel, has been kind enough to carry them for me. They are made from "hand-me-down" fabric from my late mother and from Jeff's Aunt K. I am so tickled to finally have them in the store. Jeff's mom, Barbara, was kind enough to help me get the first batch of them out the door.

We also got our Gnarly Old Vine Zinfandel Grape Jelly placed at the Cheese Shop AND at Bella Vineyards and Wine Caves. It has been really fun for us to see our products sell.

I am grateful for my husband, our family, our friends, our home, our animals. I welcome the new chickens and I bid a very sad goodbye to our newly departed cat, Tommy. Tommy, we loved you even though we never got to snuggle with you. I will miss you terribly. Tell the next lost and hungry kitten to come to our house. There is always space at the food bowl.

I leave you with a photo of my latest addition. HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Eastside Farm Eggs go to the Big Apple

Our friends, Mark and Teri Stark of Willi's Wine Bar fame, called us a couple of weeks ago to see if we had "farm fresh eggs" for them to take with them to New York. Seems that they were heading to the James Beard House in New York and wanted to take Sonoma County eggs. Someone reminded them we had eggs, and so we received the call!

Hope y'all had fun at the event!

PS: this is the second trip to the Beard House for our Eastside Farm Eggs. The first time was the Zin Restaurant event last February!